THE WARMING MECHANISM IN THE SOUTHERN ARABIAN SEA DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE EVENTS

This study aims to explore the relative role of oceanic dynamics and surface heat fluxes in the warming of southern Arabian Sea and southwest Indian Ocean during the development of Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events by using National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) daily reanalysis data and Global Ocean Data Assimilation System (GODAS) monthly mean ocean reanalysis data from 1982 to 2013, based on regression analysis, Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and combined with a 2? layer dynamic upper-ocean model. The results show that during the initial stage of IOD events, warm downwelling Rossby waves excited by an anomalous anticyclone over the west Indian Peninsula, southwest Indian Ocean and southeast Indian Ocean lead to the warming of the mixed layer by reducing entrainment cooling. An anomalous anticyclone over the west Indian Peninsula weakens the wind over the Arabian Sea and Somali coast, which helps decrease the sea surface heat loss and shallow the surface mixed layer, and also contributes to the sea surface temperature (SST) warming in the southern Arabian Sea by inhibiting entrainment. The weakened winds increase the SST along the Somali coast by inhibiting upwelling and zonal advection. The wind and net sea surface heat flux anomalies are not significant over the southwest Indian Ocean. During the antecedent stage of IOD events, the warming of the southern Arabian Sea is closely connected with the reduction of entrainment cooling caused by the Rossby waves and the weakened wind. With the appearance of an equatorial easterly wind anomaly, the warming of the southwest Indian Ocean is not only driven by weaker entrainment cooling caused by the Rossby waves, but also by the meridional heat transport carried by Ekman flow. The anomalous sea surface heat flux plays a key role to damp the warming of the west pole of the IOD.     

Decadal and interannual variability of the Indian Ocean Dipole

This study investigates the decadal and interannual variability of the Indian Ocean Dipole （IOD）. It is found that the long-term IOD index displays a decadal phase variation. Prior to 1920 negative phase dominates but after 1960 positive phase prevails. Under the warming background of the tropical ocean, a larger warming trend in the western Indian Ocean is responsible for the decadal phase variation of the IOD mode. Due to reduced latent heat loss from the local ocean, the western Indian Ocean warming may be caused by the weakened Indian Ocean westerly summer monsoon. The interannual air-sea coupled IOD mode varies on the background of its decadal variability. During the earlier period （1948-1969）, IOD events are characterized by opposing SST anomaly （SSTA） in the western and eastern Indian Ocean, with a single vertical circulation above the equatorial Indian Ocean. But in the later period （1980-2003）, with positive IOD dominating, most IOD events have a zonal gradient perturbation on a uniform positive SSTA. However, there are three exceptionally strong positive IOD events （1982, 1994, and 1997）, with opposite SSTA in the western and eastern Indian Ocean, accompanied by an El Nifio event. Consequently, two anomalous reversed Walker cells are located separately over the Indian Ocean and western-eastern Pacific; the one over the Indian Ocean is much stronger than that during other positive IOD events.     

The Kelvin Wave Processes in the Equatorial Indian Ocean during the 2006–2008 IOD Events

The present study investigates the role of Kelvin wave propagations along the equatorial Indian Ocean during the 2006–2008 Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). The 2006 IOD lasted for seven months, developing in May and reaching its peak in December, while the 2007 and 2008 IODs were short-lived events, beginning in early May and ending abruptly in September, with much weaker amplitudes. Associated with the above IODs, the impulses of the sea surface height (SSH) anomalies reflect the forcing from an intraseasonal time scale, which was important to the evolution of IODs in 2007 and 2008. At the thermocline depth, dominated by the propagation of Kelvin waves, the warming/cooling temperature signals could reach the surface at a particular time. When the force is strong and the local thermocline condition is favorable, the incoming Kelvin waves dramatically impact the sea surface temperature (SST) in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. In July 2007 and late July 2008, the downwelling Kelvin waves, triggered by the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in the eastern and central equatorial Indian Ocean, suppressed the thermocline in the Sumatra and the Java coast and terminated the IOD, which made those events short-lived and no longer persist into the boreal fall season as the canonical IOD does.     

Interannual Variability of Sea Surface Temperature in the Northern Indian Ocean Associated with ENSO and IOD

The Northern Indian Ocean(NIO) sea surface temperature(SST) warming,associated with the El Ni o/Southern Oscillations(ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD) mode,is investigated using the International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set(ICOADS) monthly data for the period 1979 2010.Statistical analyses are used to identify respective contribution from ENSO and IOD.The results indicate that the first NIO SST warming in September November is associated with an IOD event,while the second NIO SST warming in spring-summer following the mature phase of ENSO is associated with an ENSO event.In the year that IOD co-occurred with ENSO,NIO SST warms twice,rising in the ENSO developing year and decay year.Both shortwave radiation and latent heat flux contribute to the NIO SST variation.The change in shortwave radiation is due to the change in cloudiness.A cloud-SST feedback plays an important role in NIO SST warming.The latent heat flux is related to the change in monsoonal wind.In the first NIO warming,the SST anomaly is mainly due to the change in the latent heat flux.In the second NIO warming,both factors are important.     

EFFECTS OF INDIAN OCEAN SSTA WITH ENSO ON WINTER RAINFALL IN CHINA

Based on Hadley Center monthly global SST, 1960-2009 NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and observation rainfall data over 160 stations across China, the combined effect of Indian Ocean Dipole （IOD） and Pacific SSTA （ENSO） on winter rainfall in China and their different roles are investigated in the work. The study focuses on the differences among the winter precipitation pattern during the years with Indian Ocean Dipole （IOD） only, ENSO only, and IOD and ENSO concurrence. It is shown that although the occurrences of the sea surface temperature anomalies of IOD and ENSO are of a high degree of synergy, their impacts on the winter precipitation are not the same. In the year with positive phase of IOD, the winter rainfall will be more than normal in Southwest China （except western Yunnan）, North China and Northeast China while it will be less in Yangtze River and Huaihe River Basins. The result is contrary during the year with negative phase of IOD. However, the impact of IOD positive phase on winter precipitation is more significant than that of the negative phase. When the IOD appears along with ENSO, the ENSO signal will enhance the influence of IOD on winter precipitation of Southwest China （except western Yunnan）, Inner Mongolia and Northeast China. In addition, this paper makes a preliminary analysis of the circulation causes of the relationship between IOD and the winter rainfall in China.     

Preliminary Studies on Predicting the Tropical Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperature through Combined Statistical Methods and Dynamic ENSO Prediction

The sea surface temperature(SST) in the Indian Ocean affects the regional climate over the Asian continent mostly through a modulation of the monsoon system.It is still difficult to provide an a priori indication of the seasonal variability over the Indian Ocean.It is widely recognized that the warm and cold events of SST over the tropical Indian Ocean are strongly linked to those of the equatorial eastern Pacific.In this study,a statistical prediction model has been developed to predict the monthly SST over the tropical Indian Ocean.This model is a linear regression model based on the lag relationship between the SST over the tropical Indian Ocean and the Ni o3.4(5°S-5°N,170°W-120°W) SST Index.The predictor(i.e.,Ni o3.4 SST Index) has been operationally predicted by a large size ensemble El Ni o and the Southern Oscillation(ENSO) forecast system with coupled data assimilation(Leefs_CDA),which achieves a high predictive skill of up to a 24-month lead time for the equatorial eastern Pacific SST.As a result,the prediction skill of the present statistical model over the tropical Indian Ocean is better than that of persistence prediction for January 1982 through December 2009.     

LINKAGE BETWEEN INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE AND TWO TYPES OF El NI?O AND ITS POSSIBLE MECHANISMS

After compositing three representative ENSO indices,El Nio events have been divided into an eastern pattern(EP) and a central pattern(CP).By using EOF,correlation and composite analysis,the relationship and possible mechanisms between Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD) and two types of El Nio were investigated.IOD events,originating from Indo-Pacific scale air-sea interaction,are composed of two modes,which are associated with EP and CP El Ni o respectively.The IOD mode related to EP El Nio events(named as IOD1) is strongest at the depth of 50 to 150 m along the equatorial Indian Ocean.Besides,it shows a quasi-symmetric distribution,stronger in the south of the Equator.The IOD mode associated with CP El Nio(named as IOD2) has strongest signal in tropical southern Indian Ocean surface.In terms of mechanisms,before EP El Nio peaks,anomalous Walker circulation produces strong anomalous easterlies in equatorial Indian Ocean,resulting in upwelling in the east,decreasing sea temperature there;a couple of anomalous anticyclones(stronger in the south) form off the Equator where warm water accumulates,and thus the IOD1 occurs.When CP El Nio develops,anomalous Walker circulation is weaker and shifts its center to the west,therefore anomalous easterlies in equatorial Indian Ocean is less strong.Besides,the anticyclone south of Sumatra strengthens,and the southerlies east of it bring cold water from higher latitudes and northerlies west of it bring warm water from lower latitudes to the 15° to 25°S zone.Meanwhile,there exists strong divergence in the east and convergence in the west part of tropical southern Indian Ocean,making sea temperature fall and rise separately.Therefore,IOD2 lies farther south.     

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH OF THE PACIFIC-INDIAN OCEAN SSTA MODE AND DEFINITION OF ITS INDEX

Applying the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis to the sea surface temperature (SST) field of the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans for determination of the first eigenvector field, the current work reveals that there are significant zonal gradients of SST in all seasons of the year in the northwestern and eastern Indian Ocean and equatorial central and eastern Pacific and western Pacific. It is also found that the variance contribution rates of the first EOF mode of every season is more than 33%. This shows that this kind of spatial distribution of the SST is stable. This pattern is named Pacific-Indian Oceans SSTA mode. Through careful analysis and comparison, an index of the mode was defined.     

The Tropical Pacific–Indian Ocean Associated Mode Simulated by LICOM2.0

Oceanic general circulation models have become an important tool for the study of marine status and change. This paper reports a numerical simulation carried out using LICOM2.0 and the forcing field from CORE. When compared with SODA reanalysis data and ERSST.v3 b data, the patterns and variability of the tropical Pacific–Indian Ocean associated mode(PIOAM) are reproduced very well in this experiment. This indicates that, when the tropical central–western Indian Ocean and central–eastern Pacific are abnormally warmer/colder, the tropical eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific are correspondingly colder/warmer. This further confirms that the tropical PIOAM is an important mode that is not only significant in the SST anomaly field, but also more obviously in the subsurface ocean temperature anomaly field. The surface associated mode index(SAMI) and the thermocline(i.e., subsurface) associated mode index(TAMI) calculated using the model output data are both consistent with the values of these indices derived from observation and reanalysis data. However, the model SAMI and TAMI are more closely and synchronously related to each other.     

The Impact of Indian Ocean Variability on High Temperature Extremes across the Southern Yangtze River Valley in Late Summer

In this study,the teleconnection between Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) and the frequency of high temperature extremes (HTEs) across the southern Yangtze River valley (YRV) was investigated.The results indicate that the frequency of HTEs across the southern YRV in August is remotely influenced by the Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) SSTAs.Corresponding to June-July-August (JJA) IOBM warming condition,the number of HTEs was above normal,and corresponding to IOBM cooling conditions,the number of HTEs was below normal across the southern YRV in August.The results of this study indicate that the tropical IOBM warming triggered low-level anomalous anticyclonic circulation in the subtropical northwestern Pacific Ocean and southern China by emanating a warm Kelvin wave in August.In the southern YRV,the reduced rainfall and downward vertical motion associated with the anomalous low-level anticyclonic circulation led to the increase of HTE frequency in August.     

The Relationship Between Indian Ocean SST and Tropical Cyclone Genesis Frequency over North Indian Ocean in May

Tropical cyclone (TC) activities in the North Indian Ocean (NIO) peak in May during the pre-monsoon period, but the TC frequency shows obvious inter-annual variations. By conducting statistical analysis and dynamic diagnosis of long-term data from 1948 to 2016, the relationship between the inter-annual variations of Indian Ocean SST and NIO TC genesis frequency in May is analyzed in this paper. Furthermore, the potential mechanism concerning the effect of SST anomaly on TC frequency is also investigated. The findings are as follows: 1) there is a broadly consistent negative correlation between NIO TC frequency in May and SST in the Indian Ocean from March to May, with the key influencing area located in the southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO); 2) the anomalies of SST in SWIO (SWIO-SST) are closely related to a teleconnection pattern surrounding the Indian Ocean, which can significantly modulate the high-level divergence, mid-level vertical motion and other related environmental factors and ultimately influence the formation of TCs over the NIO; 3) the increasing trend of SWIO-SST may play an essential role in the downward trend of NIO TC frequency over the past 69 years.     

INTERDECADAL VARIATION OF THE INTENSITY OF SOUTH ASIAN HIGH

The characteristics and possible physical mechanism of interdecadal variation of the intensity of the South Asian High (SAH) in summer are analyzed using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and NOAA extended reconstructed sea surface temperature (SST) data. The results indicate that a remarkable interdecadal transition occurred in the late 1970s that increased the intensity of SAH, or, an abrupt climate change was around 1978. A comparative analysis between the weak and strong period of the SAH intensity shows that the related anomalous patterns of the atmospheric circulation (including wind field, air temperature field and vertical velocity field) are nearly opposite to each other. The surface latent heat flux anomalies over the plateau (especially in the northwest of the plateau) in summer exert great influence on the interdecadal variation of the SAH intensity and the surface sensible heat flux anomalies play a more important role. Consistent with the interdecadal variation of the SAH intensity, the monopole mode of the tropical Indian Ocean SST in summer also experienced a low to high transition in the late 1970s. To some extent, this can reveal the impact of the anomalous monopole mode of the tropical Indian Ocean SST in summer on interdecadal variation of the SAH.     

POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF MADDEN-JULIAN OSCILLATION ON THE SEVERE RAIN-SNOW WEATHER IN CHINA DURING NOVEMBER 2009

Possible relationships between MJO and the severe rain-snow weather in Eastern China during November of 2009 are analyzed and results show that a strong MJO process is one of the strong impact factors.MJO is very active over the Indian Ocean in November 2009.Especially,it maintains 9 days in MJO phase 3,just corresponding to the two strongest rain-snow processes.Composites of MJO events show that when the MJO convective center is located over the Indian Ocean,the probability of rainfall is significantly increased and the temperature is lower than normal in eastern China,which is consistent with the situation in November of 2009.Atmospheric circulation anomalies of mid-and higher-latitudes can be influenced by the tropical MJO convection forcing and this influence could be realized by teleconnection.When the MJO is over the Indian Ocean,it is favorable for the maintenance of a circulation pattern of two ridges versus one trough at mid-and higher-latitudes.Meanwhile,the western Pacific subtropical high is stronger and more westward than normal,and a significant convective belt appears over eastern East Asia.All these circulation anomalies shown in the composite result also appeared in the observations in November 2009,which indicates the general features of relationships between the MJO and the circulation anomalies over the extratropics.Besides the zonal circulation anomalies,the MJO convection can also lead to meridional circulation anomalies.When the MJO convection is located over the Indian Ocean,the western Pacific is dominated by anomalous descending motion,and the eastern East Asia is controlled by strong convergence and ascending motion.Therefore,an anomalous meridional circulation is formed between the tropics and middle latitudes,enhancing the northward transportation of low-level moisture.It is potentially helpful to understanding and even forecasting such kind of rain-snow weather anomalies as that in November 2009 using MJO.     

Influence of positive and negative Indian Ocean Dipoles on ENSO via the Indonesian Throughflow: Results from sensitivity experiments

The role of the Indonesian Throughflow(ITF) in the influence of the Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD) on ENSO is investigated using version 2 of the Parallel Ocean Program(POP2) ocean general circulation model. We demonstrate the results through sensitivity experiments on both positive and negative IOD events from observations and coupled general circulation model simulations. By shutting down the atmospheric bridge while maintaining the tropical oceanic channel, the IOD forcing is shown to influence the ENSO event in the following year, and the role of the ITF is emphasized. During positive IOD events,negative sea surface height anomalies(SSHAs) occur in the eastern Indian Ocean, indicating the existence of upwelling.These upwelling anomalies pass through the Indonesian seas and enter the western tropical Pacific, resulting in cold anomalies there. These cold temperature anomalies further propagate to the eastern equatorial Pacific, and ultimately induce a La Nia-like mode in the following year. In contrast, during negative IOD events, positive SSHAs are established in the eastern Indian Ocean, leading to downwelling anomalies that can also propagate into the subsurface of the western Pacific Ocean and travel further eastward. These downwelling anomalies induce negative ITF transport anomalies, and an El Nio-like mode in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean that persists into the following year. The effects of negative and positive IOD events on ENSO via the ITF are symmetric. Finally, we also estimate the contribution of IOD forcing in explaining the Pacific variability associated with ENSO via ITF.     

REGIONAL DISCREPANCIES OF THE IMPACT OF TROPICAL INDIAN OCEAN WARMING ON NORTHWEST PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE FREQUENCY IN THE YEARS OF DECAYING EL NIO

This study investigates the influences of tropical Indian Ocean(TIO) warming on tropical cyclone(TC)genesis in different regions of the western North Pacific(WNP) from July to October(JASO) during the decaying El Nio. The results show significant negative TC frequency anomalies localized in the southeastern WNP. Correlation analysis indicates that a warm sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) in the TIO strongly suppresses TC genesis south of 21°N and east of 140°E in JASO. Reduced TC genesis over the southeastern WNP results from a weak monsoon trough and divergence and subsidence anomalies associated with an equatorial baroclinic Kelvin wave. Moreover,suppressed convection in response to a cold local SSTA, induced by the increased northeasterly connected by the wind-evaporation-SST positive feedback mechanism, is found unfavorable for TC genesis. Positive TC genesis anomalies are observed over higher latitudinal regions(at around 21°N, 140°E) and the western WNP because of enhanced convection along the northern flank of the WNP anomalous anticyclone and low-level convergence,respectively. Although local modulation(e.g., local SST) could have greater dominance over TC activity at higher latitudes in certain anomalous years(e.g., 1988), a warm TIO SSTA can still suppress TC genesis in lower latitudinal regions of the WNP. A better understanding of the contributions of TIO warming could help improve seasonal TC predictions over different regions of the WNP in years of decaying El Nio.     

Indo-western Pacific ocean capacitor and coherent climate anomalies in post-ENSO summer: A review

ENSO induces coherent climate anomalies over the Indo-western Pacific, but these anomalies outlast SST anomalies of the equatorial Pacific by a season, with major effects on the Asian summer monsoon. This review provides historical accounts of major milestones and synthesizes recent advances in the endeavor to understand summer variability over the Indo-Northwest Pacific region. Specifically, a large-scale anomalous anticyclone(AAC) is a recurrent pattern in post-El Ni ?no summers, spanning the tropical Northwest Pacific and North Indian oceans. Regarding the ocean memory that anchors the summer AAC, competing hypotheses emphasize either SST cooling in the easterly trade wind regime of the Northwest Pacific or SST warming in the westerly monsoon regime of the North Indian Ocean. Our synthesis reveals a coupled ocean–atmosphere mode that builds on both mechanisms in a two-stage evolution. In spring, when the northeast trades prevail, the AAC and Northwest Pacific cooling are coupled via wind–evaporation–SST feedback. The Northwest Pacific cooling persists to trigger a summer feedback that arises from the interaction of the AAC and North Indian Ocean warming, enabled by the westerly monsoon wind regime. This Indo-western Pacific ocean capacitor(IPOC) effect explains why El Ni ?no stages its last act over the monsoonal Indo-Northwest Pacific and casts the Indian Ocean warming and AAC in leading roles. The IPOC displays interdecadal modulations by the ENSO variance cycle, significantly correlated with ENSO at the turn of the 20 th century and after the 1970 s, but not in between. Outstanding issues, including future climate projections, are also discussed.     

Relationship Between Upper-Ocean Heat Content in the Tropical Indian Ocean and Summer Precipitation in China

An analysis of the Ishii ocean heat content(OHC) in the tropical Indian Ocean from the surface to 700-m depth shows that the OHC changes dramatically on the interannual timescale in the Indian Ocean.The first mode of empirical orthogonal function(EOF1) of the OHC shows that there is a strong air-sea interaction pattern in the Indian Ocean with a positive(negative) loading in the east and a negative(positive) loading in the west.This seesaw oscillation pattern influences the summer precipitation in China with a North-South reversed distribution.Composite analysis shows that during a positive(negative) OHC episode,an anomalous cyclonic(anticyclonic) circulation over the western Pacific and South China weakens(enhances) the monsoonal northward flow in the lower troposphere;meanwhile,anomalous meridional circulation connects the descending(ascending) branch over the Southeast Indian Ocean and the ascending(descending) branch in South China as well as a descending(ascending) branch over North China.Analysis of the mechanism behind these features suggests that(1) the accumulation of OHC-induced vorticity is related to the wave activity over the mid-latitudes and that(2) the meridional teleconnection induced by the Indo-Pacific air-OHC interaction appears over East Asia and the western Pacific.Both of these patterns can cause summer precipitation anomalies in China.     

Different Warming Patterns of Tropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Projected by FGOALS-g2 and FGOALS-s2 under RCP8.5

The different patterns of SST changes under the +8.5 W m-2 Representative Concentration Pathway(RCP8.5) projected by the latest two versions of the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model(FGOALS-g2 and FGOALS-s2; grid-point version 2 and spectral version 2, respectively), and the potential mechanisms for their formation are studied in this paper. The results show that, although both FGOALS-g2 and FGOALS-s2 project global warming patterns, FGOALS-g2(FGOALS-s2) projects a La Nia-like(an El Nio-like) mean warming pattern with weakest(strongest) warming over the central(eastern) equatorial Pacific for 2081–2100 relative to 1986–2005 under RCP8.5. A mixed layer heat budget analysis shows that the projected tropical Pacific Ocean warming in both models is primarily caused by atmospheric forcing. The main differences in the heating terms contributing to the SST changes between the two models are seen in the downward longwave radiation and ocean forcing. The minimum SST warming over the equatorial Pacific in FGOALS-g2 is attributed to the local minimum heating of downward longwave radiation and maximum cooling of ocean forcing. In contrast, the maximum SST warming over the equatorial Pacific in FGOALS-s2 is due to the maximum warming of downward longwave radiation, and the contribution of ocean forcing is minor. The minimum SST warming over the equatorial Pacific in FGOALS-g2 emerges around the 2050 s, before when the SST over the equatorial Pacific is warmer than that over the extra-equatorial Pacific. In FGOALS-s2, the SST difference shows a continuous increasing trend for 2006– 2100. Further examination of the oceanic and atmospheric circulation changes is needed to reveal the process responsible for the longwave radiation and ocean forcing difference between the two models.     

POSSIBLE INFLUENCES OF THE TROPICAL INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE ON THE EASTWARD PROPAGATION OF MJO

Based on multiple datasets, correlation and composite analyses, and case studies, this paper investigated possible influences of the Indian Ocean dipole （IOD） mode on the eastward propagation of intraseasonal oscillation in the tropical atmosphere. The results showed that （1） the 30-60 day outgoing longwave radiation anomalies in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the 30-60 day 850-hPa zonal wind anomalies over the equatorial central Indian Ocean were significantly correlated with the IOD index; （2） during positive IOD years, the anomalously cold water in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the 850-hPa anomalous easterlies over the equatorial central Indian Ocean might act as barriers to the continuously eastward propagation of the intraseasonal convection, which interrupts the Madden-Julian oscillation （MJO） propagation in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean and western Pacific; and （3） during negative IOD years, the anomalously warm water in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the low-level westerly anomalies over the equatorial central Indian Ocean favor the eastward movement of MJO.     

Warming in the Northwestern Indian Ocean Associated with the El Nio Event

This paper investigates possible warming effects of an El Nino event on the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Most pure positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) events (without an El Nino event co-occurring) have a maximum positive SSTA mainly in the central Indian Ocean south of the equator, while most co-occurrences with an El Nino event exhibit a northwest-southeast typical dipole mode. It is therefore inferred that warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean is closely related to the El Nino event. Based on the atmospheric bridge theory, warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean during co-occurring cases may be primarily caused by relatively less latent heat loss from the ocean due to reduced wind speed. The deepened thermocline also contributes to the warming along the east coast of Africa through the suppressed upwelling of the cold water. Therefore, the El Nino event is suggested to have a modulating effect on the structure of the dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean.